Today was a lovely Barcelona day spent with the other tourists in Parc Güell. I had the insider's tour because Milagros and Jordí explained each monument and building. Gaudí combined the story of Catalonia's founding, the legend of San Jordí, Greek myth (in the form of a dragon who guarded the Temple of Apollo at Delphi), and famously, his use of hallucinogenic mushroom. The building that was supposed to house the administration had a magic mushroom as a chimney.
Nora and I agreed that going to work in the whimsical Hansel-and-Gretel style buildings would make daydream all day about living in a fantasy world. 
Afterward, we drove down to La Sagrada Familia, the last thing on my list of Barca touristy sites to see this week. It was much bigger and grander than I expected. Jordí showed me the carving of the Virgin that his great-grandmother modeled for. They explained the debate between Barceloneses over whether or not to finish the cathedral after Gaudí died. I am not sure, but I can understand both sides.
We stopped for a cold drink across from La Sagrada Familia, in a little cafe that Jordí went to as a teenager. It was a very hot day, but in the shade of a tree with a cold cerveza and the cathedral in the background, it seemed like the most beautiful place. I wanted to take a picture with Jordí looking across the table at his wife, but I feared the camera would not capture the essence of this peaceful moment.
Tonight: Las Fiestas de Gràcia. Tomorrow: Sitges y Castelldefels!
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